Your statement is not to the point here

C++ is object-oriented. For backward compatibility, it inherits a lof of C stuff.
The fact is that many people code in C style and use C++ compiler while they claim themselves to be C++ programmers. Strictly speaking, if one dones't use class paradigm, he/she cannot be counted as
true C++ programmers.

Before Java comes to this world, many colleges adopt C++ to teach OO concepts.